April 28, 2008	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 21, 1429

MUMBAI, April 27: India’s cricket board felt “let down” by Harbhajan Singh after a slapping incident involving compatriot Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.

Harbhajan was temporarily suspended on Saturday pending a disciplinary hearing and the incident, which happened in an IPL game on Friday, dominated the front pages of newspapers in the cricket-mad country at the weekend.

The off-spinner will face the hearing on Monday.

“I feel let down,” the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty told Sunday’s Hindustan Times. “This type of behaviour is unheard of, shameful.”

The board had stood up for Harbhajan in an ugly row in Australia this year. He was initially banned for three Tests after being found guilty of making racist remarks against all-rounder Andrew Symonds, but was subsequently let off with a fine on a lesser charge following an appeal.

“If the players are taking this tournament lightly, it’s time they realised it is serious cricket... when the board stands behind its players, it doesn’t mean it will tolerate any nonsense,” Shetty said.

Harbhajan is one of his country’s most successful spin bowlers, but his disciplinary record has been poor. He was even ejected from the Indian board’s National Cricket Academy early in his career.

“We are not going to sweep things under the carpet,” IPL match referee and adjudicator Farokh Engineer told Indian media.

The BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said the spinner was asked to explain his actions before a later statement announced the suspension.

“Based on...video evidence as seen and reviewed by match adjudicator and referee Farokh Engineer, a decision has been reached to suspend with immediate effect Harbhajan Singh of the Mumbai Indians pending an inquiry into the incident on Monday,” said IPL commissioner Lalit Modi.

The hearing will be held in New Delhi and a final verdict announced by Engineer.—Reuters